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17th (2nd Leeds) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment
17th (2nd Leeds Pals) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment was raised in Leeds in December 1914 by the Lord Mayor and City, as a Bantam Battalion from men who were under the normal regulation minimum height of 5 feet 3 inches. After initial training close to home, they joined 106th Brigade, 35th Division in June 1915 at Masham, North Yorkshire. The Division moved to Salisbury Plain for final training in August. They were ordered to Egypt in late 1915, but the order was soon cancelled and they proceeded to France on the 1st of February 1916, landing at Le Havre, the division concentrated east of St Omer. They were in action during the Battles of the Somme at Bazentin Ridge, Arrow Head Copse, Maltz Horn Farm and Falfemont Farm. The division received new drafts of men to replace losses suffered on the Somme, but the CO. soon discovered that these new recruits were not of the same physical standard as the original Bantams, being men of small stature from the towns, rather than the miners and farm workers who had joined up in 1915. A medical inspection was carried out and 1439 men were transferred to the Labour Corps. Their places being taken by men transferred from the disbanded yeomanry regiments, who underwent a quick training course in infantry methods at a Divisional depot set up specifically for that purpose. In 1917 they were in action during The pursuit to the Hindenburg Line, at Houthulst Forest and The Second Battle of Passchendaele. On the 16th of November 1917 they left 35th Division to join XIX Corps on railway work. In December they amalgamated with 15th Battalion, West Yorks.
22nd Jun 1915 On the Move
16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme
1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets
11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment
10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens
9th February 1916 Call Ups
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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Pte. George William Wicks 17th (2nd Leeds) Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment (d.13th April 1917) A former coal miner, George Wicks was in his thirties when he was killed in action at the first battle of the Scarpe in 1917 He is buried at Orange Trench Cemetery, Monchy Le Prieux. He was my great uncle.
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Pte. Alfred Long MM. 17th (2nd Leeds) Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment  Alfred Long died in 1972 aged 76. I was aged 8 years old at the time and the youngest of his 6 Grandchildren. My only memory of him was his short stature, kind wrinkley face and sitting on the floor next to his rocking chair whilst he rocked gently and puffed cigar smoke towards me.
I was always told never to ask Grandad about the war as it was too terrible for him to recall. In later years my cousin, who lived with my Grandparents for a couple of years, told me how Grandad would not allow vinegar in the house and that no-one was allowed vinegar on their fish and chips as a result of being a victim of a gas attack.
I was told that Alfred Long was in the KOYLI's but once I started to investigate I found that he was in the 17th (2nd Leeds) West Yorkshire Regiment. At 5' 3" he was only able to join the newly formed Bantam regiment. Army form z21 states that he was in the Army Cyclist Corps.
Alfred was was taken prisoner at the Somme. Again a story told to cousin said that he charmed and befriended a prison guard which ensured relatively good treatment and enabled a degree of trading to take place. He received the standard repatriation letter from the King (which stated he was in the 11th Cyclist Corps.
I have not been able to find which P.O.W. camp he was at or the date of his capture. He was awarded the Portuguese Military Medal.
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Pte. Joseph William Johnson 17th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment Joseph William Johnson, My Grandfather volunteered in 1914 at the age of 26, due to the new Bantam Battalions and being a man of small stature he was finally able to serve his country ,
Joseph joined the 17th Battalion, Prince of Wales own West Yorkshire Regiment in 1914.
After training he went to the Western front and took part in the Battles of Ypres, Loos and the Somme where he became wounded in battle on three occasions.
Joseph gained the 1914/15 star and the service and victory medals.
Unlike so many brave men, he survived the war and was demobilised in February 1919 and lived on to the ripe old age of 81.
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Pte. David Caine 17th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) (d.30th July 1916) David Caine was serving with the 17th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) when died on 30th July 1916.
He was born in Jarrow, lived in Huddersfield and enlisted in Leeds.
David is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.
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Pte. Edward Alexander Newton 18th Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment Edward Newton Enlisted 9-12-15 and went to France on 24-9-16, he received gun shot wound to the chest on 1-3-17. He was treated in Croydon hospital from 24-3-17 to 21 -5-17 and remained in the UK until 27-7-17 when he returned to France. On 25-4-18 he was blinded by shell burst and 26-4-18 is recorded as being gas poisoning blind for 5 weeks, he was discharged 6-3-19.
He had wife and 4 daughters when he enlisted and had a further 3 daughters after the war.
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